Display card and frangibly separable container

ABSTRACT

Merchandising display device including means to support a single article on a card, said cards having unaligned tabs thereon, each tab indicating a parameter of the particular article held, all the tabs in a superposed series of cards being visible, for inventory control. In the present case the card is provided with an easily broken-away container portion which in and of itself contains the article for sale, so that in the event that the entire card is not desired to be placed upon a merchandise display board, only the much smaller container can be hung thereon without the card and the tabs. Article holding means within the container portion includes a series of spaced frangible fingers which are optionally disruptable to accommodate the holding means to articles of different length.

United States Patent [191 Hanson Mar. 11,1975

[76] Inventor: Henry Lloyd Hanson, Henry L.

Hanson Company, Inc., 25 Union St., Worcester, Mass. 01608 [22] Filed: June 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 374,668

Primary ExaminerLeonard Summer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles R. Fay

[57] ABSTRACT Merchandising display device including means to support a single article on a card, said cards having unaligned tabs thereon, each tab indicating a parameter of the particular article held, all the tabs in a superposed series of cards being visible, for inventory control. In the present case the card is provided with an easily broken-away container portion which in and of itself contains the article for sale, so that in the event that the entire card is not desired to be placed upon a merchandise display board, only the much smaller container can be hung thereon without the card and the tabs. Article holding means within the container portion includes a series of spaced frangible fingers which are optionally disruptable to accommodate the holding means to articles of different length.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DISPLAY CARD AND FRANGIBLY SEPARABLE CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reference is made to US. Pat. No. 3,251,476 dated May 17, 1966 and copending application Ser. No. 302,521 filed Oct. 31, 1972. The present invention is an improvement and variation thereon and includes a separate means for holding the article on the mounting card, which means is a complete container within itself which can be removed from the card and hung on a board to provide for less space taken up on the display board by the individual items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A molded plastic card is provided having means to hang it on a display board, and along one edge it has a series of integral tabs which may be broken off to leave a single tab indicating the nature or size of the particular piece of merchandise which is mounted on the card for sale. These tabs are located differently in a series of superposed cards so that even though there may be a number of cards hung on a single peg, it is easy to tell e.g., the size wanted, and also whether or not such size is missing and should be replenished from the stockroom.

In addition, the article itself is held in a smaller container mounted on the card by means of break-away joints or tabs so that the merchandise itself is easily broken away from the card while still being packaged. The card may now be discarded, the immediate container for the merchandise being thereupon easily hung on the board in place of the entire card, thus saving space. This of course is at the option, e.g., of the retailer who is displaying the merchandise. The present invention also pertains particularly but not exclusively to such tools as routers which have a relatively large cutting head as compared with its shank.

The immediate break-away container is provided with two snap-in spaced holding means for the shank of the tool, and a series of upstanding spaced fingers which are broken away so as to fit the tool in its container without shifting. The container easily accommodates tools having different sizes of cutting heads, e.g., and also different lengths of shank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation illustrating the container but with no tool included;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the tool container per se and showing the tool in place;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION A fiat card which may be injection molded is provided with a molded-in hook or the like 12 by which means the entire card may be held on a merchandise display board. The surface of the card in some areas may be utilized for directions, advertising, etc. One edge of the card is provided with a series of outstanding separate tabs 14 which may be used for identifying the size or other parameter of the tool or other article which is to be held in the container to be described.

The container for the merchandise is generally indicated by the reference numeral 16 and in the case shown includes a solid bottom 18 and an upstanding circumferential wall 20 which may extend outwardly somewhat as is indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Also the container may be of a semi-tub or boat shape if desired.

On the bottom 18 at one end of the container 16 there is provided a slightly resilient end abutment 22 which is abutted by the shank 24 of the tool or other merchandise generally indicated at 26. Immediately forwardly of this abutment 22 there is a snap-in holder 28 having a pair of spaced undercut fingers of the like 30, 30 past which the shank 24 of the tool is snapped for holding the latter.

In spaced relation to the snap-in holder 28 there is a shank holder of similar form 32 for a similar purpose. In a spaced position with relation to the holder 32 are a series of openings in the bottom 18, these being indicated as at 34. Between each of these openings there is an upstanding finger 36, this structure forming a straight row of flat spaced fingers as shown for the purpose of holding the head of the tool 26 in position. The fingers nearest the holder 32 are snapped off to accommodate the head 26 and it will be seen that therefore the tool is held by the snap-in holders 28 and 32 and by a finger 36, according to the length of the shank or the size of the head 26. Therefore each one of a number of different sizes of tools of the class described can be held in the container without shifting.

A clear plastic cover indicated at 40 has an inturned peripheral edge to snap over the external peripheral edge 42 of the container 16.

The peripheral edge 42 of the container is provided with a series of integral break-away tabs or joints indicated at 44 and these are used to mount the container 16 to the card 10, the latter having in effect an opening at 46 therein, the same shape as the container but a little larger, so that the break-away tabs 44 connect the container 16, together with its clear cover 40, to the card 10, but should it be desired to remove the container and its tool from the card, the same is easily done by disrupting the tabs 44. Then the entire container 16, together with its contents and cover may be hung on a hook on a display rack by means of an opening 50 therein at one end thereof.

It will be seen that in the present case the entire display card may be mounted as indicated in the patent and copending application above referred to, but that on the other hand should it be desired, the merchandiser can break the container 16 away from the card 10 and mount it by itself for display.

I claim:

1. A display and inventory card for merchandise comprising a relatively flat sheet of material, hanger means thereon, an opening in the sheet,

a merchandise container mounted in said opening,

tabs on the card extending into the opening, said tabs being connected to the container, said tabs being easily broken to separate the container from the display card,

a bottom for the container, a series of mutually spaced frangible fingers in alignment extending from the bottom of said container, said fingers being disruptable according to the length of the merchandise to be held in the container,

wherein the merchandise is a tool having a shank and said container including snap-in means for holding the shank of the tool, and an abutment for the end of the shank of the tool, the other end of the tool 3 4 held in the container also substantially abutting one 4. The display card of claim 1 including means for of the fmgem hanging the container by itself without the card. The (splay card of clam 1 mcludmg openmgs m 5. The card recited in claim 1 including a clear plastic the bottom between the fingers.

3. The p y card of claim 1 including a peripheral 5 cover on the merchandise container, sald cover bemg wall on the bottom, a rim on the wall the tabs extend removable from the card with the container without ing between said rim and the edge portion of the opendisruption thereof ing in the sheet. s k k in 1k 

1. A display and inventory card for merchandise comprising a relatively flat sheet of material, hanger means thereon, an opening in the sheet, a merchandise container mounted in said opening, tabs on the card extending into the opening, said tabs being connected to the container, said tabs being easily broken to separate the container from the display card, a bottom for the container, a series of mutually spaced frangible fingers in alignment extending from the bottom of said container, said fingers being disruptable according to the length of the merchandise to be held in the container, wherein the merchandise is a tool having a shank and said container including snap-in means for holding the shank of the tool, and an abutment for the end of the shank of the tool, the other end of the tool held in the container also substantially abutting one of the fingers.
 1. A display and inventory card for merchandise comprising a relatively flat sheet of material, hanger means thereon, an opening in the sheet, a merchandise container mounted in said opening, tabs on the card extending into the opening, said tabs being connected to the container, said tabs being easily broken to separate the container from the display card, a bottom for the container, a series of mutually spaced frangible fingers in alignment extending from the bottom of said container, said fingers being disruptable according to the length of the merchandise to be held in the container, wherein the merchandise is a tool having a shank and said container including snap-in means for holding the shank of the tool, and an abutment for the end of the shank of the tool, the other end of the tool held in the container also substantially abutting one of the fingers.
 2. The display card of claim 1 including openings in the bottom between the fingers.
 3. The display card of claim 1 including a peripheral wall on the bottom, a rim on the wall, the tabs extending between said rim and the edge portion of the opening in the sheet.
 4. The display card of claim 1 including means for hanging the container by itself without the card. 